It was just over a year ago when Jessica Aguilar claimed the top spot in the world at 115 pounds when she defeated Megumi Fujii at Bellator 69.
The fight was closely contested as Aguilar looked to beat the legendary Japanese fighter and claim the top s…
It was just over a year ago when Jessica Aguilar claimed the top spot in the world at 115 pounds when she defeated MegumiFujii at Bellator 69.
The fight was closely contested as Aguilar looked to beat the legendary Japanese fighter and claim the top spot in the rankings.
When it was all said and done, Aguilar won a razor-thin decision over Fujii, but still controversy marred the victory because the fight was so close and scores from fans and critics alike all seemed to differ on who should have been the winner.
So now with Fujii proclaiming that she will retire after one more fight, the two competitors will get the chance to settle the score once and for all.
Aguilar has signed on to face Fujii in a rematch of their 2012 bout when she travels to Japan on October 5 in the VTJ promotion out of Tokyo, Japan.
Aguilar recently exited her previous home at BellatorMMA when the promotion opted to eliminate the women’s division entirely. Since that time other notable names such as Jessica Eye have signed with the UFC, while Felice Herrig landed a deal with Invicta FC.
Aguilar has now signed on for at least one fight when she faces Fujii in Japan with a chance to cement her place atop the 115-pound rankings. She is recognized as the top strawweight fighter on the planet, but picking up a second win over Fujii would certainly solidify her placement.
Facing Fujii in Japan will be no easy test for the traveling American fighter.
Fujii was undefeated as a fighter during her entire career with most of the bouts taking place in Japan until she finally signed with Bellator in 2010. It was there that she was handed her first professional loss in another closely contested bout against former Bellator champion ZoilaFrausto-Gurgel.
She then lost her second career fight when she faced Aguilar last year. Since that time, Fujii has only competed once more with a win over Mei Yamaguchi in December 2012.
Now the legendary women’s fighter will call it a career facing Aguilar in October before officially retiring from mixed martial arts.
For most sports fans, prize fighting is something truly glamorous, a battle of wills playing out before thousands in densely packed casinos with millions more watching in real time all over the world. It’s a shared experience, a celebration of the prim…
For most sports fans, prize fighting is something truly glamorous, a battle of wills playing out before thousands in densely packed casinos with millions more watching in real time all over the world. It’s a shared experience, a celebration of the primal, both a spectacle of masculine pride and a compelling demonstration of humanity’s capacity for courage.
KotetsuBoku, the former K-1 and Dream fighter, has seen that side of the fight game. The One FC lightweight champion has fought in the legendary Saitama Super Arena, on the same card as superstars like Mirko “Cro Cop” Filopovic and, yes, his opponent next month, ShinyaAoki.
He’s also seen the dark side of the phenomenon, seen celebrity ravage a man, engulfing his teammate Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto—girls surrounding the young fighter, high pitched screams greeting them everywhere they went, temptations often overwhelming training.
“It was a spectacle, that is for sure,” Boku told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview. “The team around him kept our heads down and just focused on the training needed to succeed in MMA. It was very easy to get distracted with everything that is going on, but we just stayed true to our fighting roots and dedicated ourselves to that. I owe a lot of my success to Kid. He started the Krazy Bee gym which has molded me into the fighter that I am today.”
But there’s another kind of prize fighting too. This kind plays out on Indian reservations or in National Guard armories. The lights are much less bright, if there are lights at all. There’s a desperation there, a hunger.
Instead of men and women dressed in finery, low cut blouses and $300 jeans, the fans in the audience are either grim hardcore fanatics or family and friends. These aren’t fights people come to in order to be seen. The participants are just as different.
These are no millionaire superstars taking time off of their busy St. Barts vacationing schedule to grace us with their very presence. The fighters are just as likely to be guys from the meat packing plant or your UPS deliveryman, fighters there for the love of the game or to test themselves for the first time, seeing just how much that love matters when they are being bludgeoned in the face.
KotetsuBoku has seen this side of the fight game too.
His first fight wasn’t at the Yokohama Arena. There weren’t thousands of screaming fans waiting for him to make his way to the ring. There were 250, at most, in the Kitazawa Town Hall, a gaudy postmodern building on the outskirts of Tokyo.
Home to an administrative building, a bus stop and even an incongruous roof top garden, Kitazawa Town Hall was the venue of choice for Tokyo-based combat sports acts that couldn’t quite justify the slightly larger and more iconic Korakeun Hall at the Tokyo Dome. This is where the second most popular women’s wrestling outfit would wow with high-flying exhibitions and where out-of-shape fetishists would cut each other to shreds in “death matches.”
It was also, more importantly for our story, the home of the world’s best lighter weight fighters. While NobuhikoTakada and KazushiSakuraba packed the Domes with tens of thousands of fans and dominated the back page sports sections in all the newspapers, anyone under 170 pounds was happy just to have an outlet to fight at all. Boku was right where he wanted to be.
“Shooto is a great promotion. For lighter weight fighters in Japan, it is the promotion that you most want to fight for. I was delighted when I got the call to fight for Shooto in my professional debut. Thankfully, I emerged victorious from that fight,” Boku said.
Like many of the Shooto stars, fighting was a form of expression, something he did for the competition and the art more than the money. Which is a good thing, as the money was practically non existent. Even the top Shooto names, men like KaoruUno who went on to UFC fame, worked regular jobs (in Uno‘s case, as a waiter) before heading to the gym at night to hone their real craft.
“That is common for a lot of fighters, not just in Shooto,” Boku continued. “We don’t get as much money as people think. Most fighters fight out of passion and not with the intention of becoming millionaires. I wondered how Kaoru went to work after his face gets mangled though.”
Twenty-nine times Boku has stepped into the ring, often for little more than pride. Twenty times he’s emerged victorious. Not bad for a kid one or two generations removed from the kind of brutal prejudice that cost millions their lives.
The Japanese regime during World War II conscripted hundreds of thousands of Koreans during the war, dragging them to Japan and into forced labor camps where many didn’t survive. Their own government was little better in the years following the war, cracking down on any sign of dissidence, forcing many to flee to Japan, just a decade earlier their great oppressor.
Today, tensions still exist. It’s especially hard for kids, ostracized early in a society that is so homogeneous that even the slightest differences stand out. Boku found his escape in art and athletics and made his way.
“It is definitely better now. I cannot imagine what my parents must have experienced when they just moved here,” Boku said. He found inspiration, not just from his parents but from other native Koreans who excelled. “(Former professional wrestling star) Riki Choshu is somebody I looked up to while I was growing up. Being a former Korean representative in the Olympics and becoming such an icon in pro wrestling is not an easy task for anyone. He set the foundation for athletes like me to compete now and I’m grateful to him for that.”
He has eschewed the norm in all areas of his life. Fighters aren’t supposed to be artists. And yet he he produces work in a variety of mediums.
“Inspiration comes from the weirdest places,” Boku said. “Sometimes, a random image just pops into my head and I just get to work on it.”
He’s also made art a part of himself, using his own body as a canvas. And while tattoos are quickly transcending class and cultural barriers in the west, in Japan, a tattoo is still a controversial statement. Tied to Yakuza gangs, many proper citizens associate them only with crime and violence. In some places they are still a bar to entry. But Boku, himself a tattoo artist, believes that times are changing.
“Some people give me weird looks,” he admits. “But it has generally been positive. I think the community might not be used to tattoos in general and not just my particular tattoos. I love tattooing because it gives me a pain which I must overcome for me to express myself and put my thoughts into art. It relaxes me. I am proud of my tattoos and enjoy letting people see them.”
Most special is a tattoo right over his heart, an ode to the Korean warrior class from which he sprung.
“Yes the turtle ship pays tribute to my Korean roots. The turtle ship is a traditional Korean warship,” Boku explained. “I also have a tiger on the right stomach area with Korean characters. I’m proud to be both Korean and Japanese and I want my tattoos to reflect that.”
The Geobukseon, also known as a turtle ship, was used to fight the Japanese for centuries. Emitting smoke to mask its movements and striking terror into foes with its elaborately carved dragon heads, the turtle ships were psychological weapons, not just martial ones.
Today, Boku‘s psychological gambits take the form of words rather than smoke. And, despite reigning as champion, he believes that mentally it’s his opponent, well known submission ace ShinyaAoki, who bears the brunt of the pressure in their upcoming One FC title fight, April 5 at Singapore Indoor Stadium and worldwide on streaming pay-per-view.
“The pressure is on him,” Boku claims. “Even though I am the champion, he is the heavy favorite and he is expected to emerge victorious. I feel more at ease and I’m confident that I can cause the upset. I hope he doesn’t underestimate me because that would be his biggest mistake. Shinya‘s a good submission guy but I’m confident that I can avoid his submissions and strike with him on the feet.”
You can read more about Boku‘s opponent, ShinyaAoki, in our exclusive interview here.
Sitting on the subway, at a noodle stand or even training in the gym, you wouldn’t give Shinya Aoki, the Japanese lightweight once considered by many the single best fighter in his weight class, a second look.Nothing screams “tough guy.” There’s not ev…
Sitting on the subway, at a noodle stand or even training in the gym, you wouldn’t give ShinyaAoki, the Japanese lightweight once considered by many the single best fighter in his weight class, a second look.
Nothing screams “tough guy.” There’s not even the hint of a whisper.
Slim, bird-chested and wearing glasses—this man just doesn’t look like the most dangerous fighter in the world. But, as Royce Gracie proved nearly 20 years ago now, looks can be deceiving. And make no mistake, Aoki remains a terrifying potential foe for anyone at 155 pounds.
That’s a statement that probably deserves—nay, demands—an explanation. And it boils down to attitude. There are many athletes who truly consider this a sport. Fighters who, in their core, hate the idea of hurting someone else, of taking away their livelihood.
That’s called empathy. They, of course, are fighters themselves. They understand what it would mean to the man across the cage to have his physicality, his very identity, stripped away by a devastating injury.
ShinyaAoki is not that kind of man.
The case in point is a 2009 fight against MizutoHirota. To set the stage, it was an inter-promotional bout—HirotareppedSengoku, Aoki was with Dream. Picture a Japanese version of the Sharks and the Jets and you wouldn’t be far off.
As you might imagine, the pre-fight press, all designed to promote this blood feud between companies, amped up a fighter who already lives at a decibel of 10. Aoki was a terror before the bout, telling fighters at the press conference to “shut up” when their answers went long and promising Dream president KeiichiSasahara that he would take Hirota out.
And then the fight. The details are unimportant. At least until the end. That’s when Aoki captured Hirota in a hammerlock and yanked until his skinny arms almost fell off. Hirota was too proud to tap; the referee too slow to intervene. So, in a moment replayed millions of times by sickos the world over, Hirota‘s arm went snap.
It was immediately obvious he was seriously injured. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind. But ShinyaAoki didn’t care about that. He stood over Hirota. Screamed. And then shot him the bird, proceeding to run around the ring like he was doing his best Jim Valvano impression. Thoughts of Hirota, or at least his well being, never crossed Aoki‘s mind.
Here’s the scary part for opponents—he’d do it again. In a heartbeat.
“He was very disrespectful to me before the fight. When I had his arm, he had a chance to tap and he chose not to. I’m not going to give up the submission just because my opponent is too arrogant to not tap. So I broke his arm,” Aoki told Bleacher Report in an series of exclusive interviews. It’s a scene he believes has the potential to be repeated in any one of his fights.
“Of course it is dangerous to fight me. I’m going to try to break every one of your limbs if that is what it takes to defeat you.”
The win over Hirota, however, is not the only lasting image of ShinyaAoki. For American fans there is also the disastrous tour of this country. Aoki was controlled by Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez and knocked out by then Bellator kingpin Eddie Alvarez two years later. To many, it was a dismissal. Aoki, in the eyes of some fans, simply couldn’t cut it against the best in the world.
He’s not so sure.
“The traveling is the worst part,” he said about his experiences in America. “Traveling across so many time zones for a fight affects your physical and mental state.”
It’s not presented as an excuse, not exactly. More a statement of fact. And if you think the losses have humbled Aoki, you’d be dead wrong.
Back in his comfort zone in Asia, Aoki is committed to continue to grow as a fighter. And, despite media perception, at least in the English speaking world, he doesn’t feel like he’s already peaked. In fact, he believes in his heart he’s a threat to any lightweight in the world—even the UFC’s best.
“I believe that I am among the best. On any given day, I am capable of finishing anyone in the world…A fighter is a fighter. It doesn’t matter what country he is from,” Aoki said.” One FC has so many top fighters that just have not been acknowledged by the media yet. Many of my Evolve teammates for example, are already at the level to win at the highest levels in the world.”
It’s with the Evolve team in Singapore that Aoki has committed to improving his skill set. Always known as a dangerous grappler, he’s been working hard to branch out, realizing that MMA is no place for a specialist these days. He has access to first-rate wrestling coach Heath Sims, a man who worked closely with Randy Couture and Dan Henderson for years, as well as some top-level Thai boxing instructors.
It’s his developments in the striking game that Aoki is most proud of.
“I never thought that I would ever be able to knock someone out. It was a very strange feeling, indeed,” Aoki said, referring to his Dec. 31, 2012, dismantling of American Antonio McKee. “I am nowhere near my peak yet, especially in striking. I believe that if I train harder in striking, I will improve a lot more.”
Fans will watch those improvements in One FC, the rising promotional powerhouse that signed him last year and continues to stand out among what has become a crowded Asian scene. Aoki, who made his name in Pride and then Dream, believes One FC is the heir to those promotions, the company that can help MMA thrive once again in Asia.
“I am thrilled beyond words. One FC is the new Pride. Actually, it is already bigger than Pride ever was. It is the biggest MMA event in Asia and the second-largest in the world,” Aoki said. “I think the future of Asian MMA is in One FC. One FC already has so many of the best fighters from Japan and the rest of Asia in its roster. One FC also brings the best fighters from all the different countries to compete against each other and that makes it even more exciting.”
On April 5, Aoki will headline One FC’s return to the Singapore Indoor Stadium for a title fight with champion KotetsuBoku. For One FC, April 5 will be the culmination of a long journey. For the first time, the event will be broadcast live on Star Sports across Asia, rather than broadcast on tape delay or as highlights. The event is also available to fans worldwide as a pay-per-view livestream at www.onefc.livesport.tv.
For Aoki, it’s more than that. It’s the chance to remind the world he’s still around and, most scarily, it’s also a grudge match of sorts as Boku dispatched with Aoki‘s teammate ZorobabelMoreira last October.
“I want to bring the belt back to Evolve MMA for my teammates, for my trainers and for me,” Aoki said. “I know how dejected Zoro was after that loss and I want to do this for him as well. I’m bringing the title back with me.”
If facing down an angry and motivated ShinyaAoki has him rattled, Boku isn’t showing it. A decade-plus veteran of the sport, the former Shooto standout understands exactly what Aoki is, and the knockout over McKee notwithstanding, exactly what he isn’t as well.
“Aoki is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist and has submitted many opponents. I must be careful not to let him dictate the fight. I want to keep the fight standing, where I feel like I’m better than Aoki. I’m confident that I can beat Aoki. I don’t intend to give up my lightweight title belt to Aoki or anybody else. I want to be lightweight champion until I retire,” Boku told Bleacher Report through a translator.
“On April 5th, I’m going to put on a show for the Singapore fans. This is the largest event in One FC history and we are going live! I’m very excited. ShinyaAoki might be getting more media attention now, but after I defeat him, the entire MMA world will remember the name KotetsuBoku.”
Although she could simply live an easy life as the daughter of a famous film legend, Amanda Lucas instead chose to take up the career of a professional MMA fighter.That journey will be chronicled in the upcoming film LUCAS, directed by T…
Although she could simply live an easy life as the daughter of a famous film legend, Amanda Lucas instead chose to take up the career of a professional MMA fighter.
That journey will be chronicled in the upcoming film LUCAS, directed by TapouT Films founder and noted combat sports videographer Bobby Razak.
Featuring interviews from Amanda and her father George Lucas, the legendary creator of the billion-dollar Star Wars franchise, the documentary will cover several years of Amanda’s life with a major focus on her entry into the women’s MMA circuit.
She’s only been active in the sport for a little over a few years, but 31-year-old Amanda has quickly compiled a 5-1 record as an openweight competitor since May 2008.
Still, none of her victories have come against any notable fighters.
Despite the fact that Amanda is currently ranked by FightMatrix as one of the top 15 women in the featherweight division, all six of her opponents have a combined record of 22 wins and 43 losses.
Moreover, her only “ranked” victory has come against 33-year-old Japanese veteran Yuiga Yuiga.
That’s not to say that Amanda hasn’t faced any real challenges, though.
During the 2011 Mundials BJJ Worlds in Long Beach, California (via MMA Prime), the young Lucas earned a grappling medal after battling former Strikeforce champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino in the purple belt heavyweight finals.
It took several slams, trips and suplex maneuvers, but the overmatched rookie still fought to the end in a gritty, exhaustive effort (and eventual loss).
Amanda’s charisma and name value have also drawn a following in the news, leading to several features in outlets such as Sports Illustrated, ESPN and U.K. publication The Daily Mail.
Currently, the biggest feat of Amanda’s career has been winning the DEEP Openweight Women’s Championship, which she pulled off with a keylock submission victory over 46-year-old Japanese pro wrestling star and fighter Yumiko Hotta.
MMA pioneer Kazushi Sakuraba has been a professional wrestler since the early ’90s. However, his shoot-fighting instincts must have kicked in this weekend during a New Japan Pro Wrestling bout against champion Shinsuke Nakamura.Minutes into the contest…
MMA pioneer Kazushi Sakuraba has been a professional wrestler since the early ’90s. However, his shoot-fighting instincts must have kicked in this weekend during a New Japan Pro Wrestling bout against champion Shinsuke Nakamura.
Minutes into the contest, Nakamura shot in for a takedown and without thinking, Sakuraba threw an interceptor knee that knocked his opponent completely unconscious. Immediately after impact, you can see “The Gracie Hunter” kicking himself for the mistake.
In the world of MMA, this would have been considered an incredible highlight. However, in the fictional competition that is professional wrestling, if a guy is supposed to pin you later in the contest, it is generally frowned upon for you to put him in a temporary coma.
What makes things worse is that Nakamura currently holds the IWGP Intercontinental Championship and the title was on the line in this contest, which Shinsuke was scheduled to win.
Sakuraba is a well-season veteran of professional wrestling, so after the referee checked on Nakamura and recognized that he had regained some of his wits, the Japanese legend climbed into mount and began throwing kayfabe punches until Shinsuke was able to continue again.
Ironically, Nakamura is a former MMA fighter in his own right. Competing from the 2003 New Year’s Eve card until mid-2004, Nakamura put together a 3-1 (1) record and has not competed in nearly nine years.
The full match is available to watch at DailyMotion.com with the knockout occurring shortly after the 17 minute mark.
(Melvin Manhoef def. Denis Kang via knee-to-the-body KO, 0:50 of round 1. Fight starts at the 3:44 mark, but we’ve got the video cued up to the *real* action.)
(Shinya Aoki def. Antonio McKee via submission due to eye-punch, 0:24 of round 2)
(Melvin Manhoef def. Denis Kang via knee-to-the-body KO, 0:50 of round 1. Fight starts at the 3:44 mark, but we’ve got the video cued up to the *real* action.)
